A FORMER controversial nightclub is set to open its doors tonight after South Yorkshire Police withdrew its objections.
Sugar Club, on Pitt Street, was the subject of a long-standing battle between former owner Ashley Stockton, the police and Barnsley Council.
Earlier this year the club had its licence revoked by the council’s licensing board following a behind-closed-doors meeting.
Reported instances of a huge brawl between 20 to 30 people, a member of the door staff knocking out someone’s tooth and drugs and even weighing scales being found in a woman’s handbag during a stop-search were just some of the incidents included in a multi-page dossier which was released ahead of the meeting in April.
New plans were submitted to the council earlier this month, seeking an approved licence for the club to operate once more under new owners and a different name.
However, South Yorkshire Police bosses originally objected to the application due to the current owner, Anthony Hoyle, having links to the previous occupant Ashley Stockton.
A meeting to discuss the issues was planned to take place earlier this month but was cancelled after Mr Hoyle and police chiefs agreed on updated licensing conditions.
Mr Hoyle said: “We are opening the club, Bar Boujie, tonight.
“Me and my partner Jeni worked alongside Barnsley licensing and South Yorkshire Police to agree to positive agreements that will support the bar to thrive and accomplish what our aim was for in the first place.
“We provided proof to them to show that the previous owner has no involvement in our business.
“We have a state of the art ID scanning system in place to ensure that under age do not gain access, as this was an issue prior to us owning the business.”
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that a deal has been struck and a spokesperson added: “We worked in partnership with Barnsley Council and the new owner, agreeing on a licence which we believe will enable the new owners to run a venue that is safe, and we will continue to work with and support them.”
